In one of the odder political actions of the early days of the War,
Ohio’s Democratic congressman Clement Vallandigham introduced a
resolution on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. The
point of the resolution was to commend Captain Charles Wilkes of the
USS San Jacinto for his actions in capturing the Confederate
commissioners on the British mail ship “Trent.” The oddity comes
from the fact that Vallandigham was a Peace Democrat, advocating
negotiation or any other means to settle the dispute between North
and South, short of war. Why he would wish to commend Wilkes’
hostile action--which had so infuriated the British that they were
on the verge of war with the U.S. themselves--is unknown. The bill
was referred to a committee for study and was never heard of again.

Tuesday Dec. 16 1862 FEDERALS FACE FALMOUTH FUTILITY

In the aftermath of Fredericksburg, the defeated Union army
completed its withdrawal across the pontoon bridges erected at such
a tremendous cost just a few days earlier. Climbing back up the
heights on their side of the river, and looking back at the heights
opposite that they had tried six times to take, they proceeded on
just as far as Falmouth and Stafford Heights. There the exhausted
men stopped and set camp for the winter. The countryside was soon
scoured of every piece of lumber, brick and anything which could be
used to construct cabins or huts or at least fortify the flimsy
tents for the winter. So much wood would be scavenged that trees
died for miles around. When the spring rains of 1863 came, much
valuable topsoil would wash away. The area would not recover its
agricultural value for decades.

Wednesday Dec. 16 1863 CONFEDERATE COMMAND CHANGES CONDUCTED

There was a major shuffling of commanders in the Western Theater of
the Confederate States of America today. At the headquarters of the
Army of Tennessee, Lt. Gen. William Hardee was out, Gen. Joseph
Eggleston Johnston was in. Hardee’s appointment had only been a
temporary one, filling after Bragg’s departure, anyway. Johnston’s
departure from Brandon, Miss., left a vacancy at the head of the
Army of Mississippi, which was filled by Gen. Leonidas Polk. One
promotion was noted on the Union side of the field: John Buford,
cavalryman, received a long-overdue promotion to Major General. It
is good that this honor was not delayed any further, as six hours
after the papers arrived, Buford died of typhoid fever in
Washington, D.C.

Friday Dec. 16 1864 TRIUMPHANT THOMAS TIMELY FOR TENNESSEANS

Attack, Gen. George Thomas had been told for weeks. Go forth from
Nashville and attack the Army of Tennessee, he was ordered. He had
resisted until he felt his forces and supplies were sufficient, to
the point where Gen. John “Black Jack” Logan was on a train today
with orders to take over command from him. But yesterday the attack
had come at last, and today it continued. First the right was pushed
back. When they rallied and held, the Union cavalry swept around the
Confederate left and threatened the rear of the lines. Finally the
climax came, around three in the afternoon, as firing was almost
continuous. The Confederate left could take no more and began
withdrawing. The center soon followed, and finally the right wing
was forced to follow. The Army of Tennessee effectively ceased to
exist as a fighting force, and the threat to the Union hold on
Kentucky and the Ohio River was ended.